Genesis 2.0 (Monster Apocalypse Survival) Sci-Fi/DarkFan/Horror

~6~

I stare in open-mouth shock at the towering Angel before me. Rude, I know. Childish, I don’t care. He is huge; taller than my Uncle John, who claimed to have been six-feet-four-inches tall.

Long, straight white hair flows down over very wide, and beefy, shoulders. And if it wasn't for the wrinky, age-ridden skin on his face, I'd swear the guy was just as young as Daniel or Aeriel.

I’m Jophiel,” he states firmly. “You may call me Joe." He briefly nods at each of the other two Angels currently crowding my kinda-on-the-small-side, childhood bedroom, albeit optical illusion.

Daniel disappears immediately, almost like he can't get away from me fast enough and I'm mildly peeved, not to mention insulted. He's the one who brought me here, so he shouldn’t be the first one to bail. But, whatever. It isn’t like we're joined at the hip or anything.

Aeriel merely tilts her head, in an almost birdlike manner, and narrows impossibly green eyes at the older man. Had I mentioned that? No? Well, sue me for being too distracted with Angels dragging me off Earth, to only Gid knows where.

“Do I make you uncomfortable?” Joe shifts his bright yellow eyes and stares down at me. Barely suppressing the urge to squirm under his attention, I take the opportunity to stand and only manage to make myself feel even smaller. Both Angels tower over my five-foot-seven frame like the leaning Tower of Pisa over a small and insignificant garden snail. I'm an ant on the battlefield of giants. But I refuse to sit back down. So, I dig my fisted hands on my hips and shoot them both an irritated glower.

“I’m more angry than uncomfortable,” I snapped. “I want to know what the heck is going on and why I’m here – wherever here is,” I accentuated the last part with a sweep of my arm to encompass the room in general.

Joe shot Aeriel a cheesy grin and she huffed loudly before dematerializing into thin air.

Turning his attention back to me, the saggy skin at the corners of Joe’s eyes softened as his face took on the non-threatening look of a grandfather smiling adoringly at his granddaughter.

“Now, what do you say, to you and I having a very thorough discussion and I’ll answer all your questions?” he offered and I swear his canary-yellow eyes twinkled with mirth.

“I’d say it was about damn time,” I snarked and old Joe burst out laughing.

“That’s why I love you Humans, you have such merry senses of purpose and being,” he said and turned to head out of a door I’d not noticed before. It stood where my bedroom window would’ve looked out over the backyard and in-ground pool I’d practically lived in during the spring, summer and early fall months.

Shaking my head in exasperation, I merely fell into step behind the behemoth Angel. Who was I to question this mirage? If we ended up twelve feet under water, I took solace in knowing I could still swim.

But the moment we crossed the imaginary threshold, we entered a brightly lit solarium of sorts. Even though I assumed that all four walls were made of glass, the air inside was a nice, cool seventy-ish degrees. Flowering trees and shrubs dotted the higher elevations and pot-filled plants and winding stone pathways covered the floor.

I heard water bubbling softly from somewhere and instantly felt my body begin to relax. I don’t know what it is about running water, but it always seemed to make me feel so peaceful.

“Welcome to the Garden of Eden,” Joe announced and turned to smile down at me. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?”

I couldn’t think of a single, solitary word to say. Nothing snarky or smartass came to mind, so I simply nodded my head and continued to soak up all the peace and safety that I’d been without for so long. Tears filled my eyes and my chest grew heavy. It was like a dam had built within my chest walls and it took every ounce of will-power to hold it in. I wanted to cry, like some big, damn baby.

“It’s alright,” Joe murmured and knelt down in front of me – which oddly enough, still made him tower over me, just less so than before. “The Garden is supposed to fill every soul with peace, belonging and safety. Like your Mother’s womb; it’s meant to offer shelter, sustainability and ultimate peace. You’re safer here than anywhere else,” he explained softly.

Blinking my eyes rapidly, I managed to lose the tears without actually blubbering like a ninny and within a few moments, I was able to breathe again. So, I took in a lungfull of sweet, peaceful air and held the euphoria inside my heart, hoping to keep the feeling boxed away for one of those lonely nights ahead. Hopefully then, I could bring out this memory and make it through whatever hell I was facing.

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